Realistic Racer

Will Neely, of Westbrook, Connecticut, builds spectacular models that must be seen to be believed. The exceptional vintage dirt track racer you see here is just one amazing example of Will's extraordinary engineering and scratchbuilding abilities. This gigantic 1/4 scale model, built entirely from scratch without a single kit part, looks as though it could fire its engine and tear up the track at any moment...even though there are no working internal parts!

Inspired by the engineering drawings of Ray Kuns for full-scale race cars, originally published in 1934 for 'Automotive Racing,' the model shown is the result of 14 painstaking years of on-again, off-again construction. It was a project that continued to grow in detail and complexity, featuring a fiberglass body hand-formed over foam, an engine block machined out of cast acrylic, hundreds of hand-made brass parts, real leather interior details, and countless hours of labor to put it all together. Even the spokes in the wheels were created as separate pieces and hand-assembled one at a time.

Will's remarkable ingenuity, mastery of a variety of techniques (including casting, machining, metal forming, soldering, and more), incredible patience, and of course, his collection of Micro-Mark tools, combine to create models that inspire builders of all levels.